nassë

noun. nature, true-being; material; person, individual, nature, true-being, *essence; person, individual; material

This word had various uses in Tolkien’s later writings. In notes from around 1959 it was glossed “material” = the substance of which all things are composed (NM/249-250), but later Tolkien used the term erma for “matter” (MR/338, 349). In notes probably from the 1960s, Tolkien use nasse to mean “nature” or “true-being” (PE17/174-175), and in notes from the late 1960s he used it to mean “a person, an individual” (VT49/30).

Neo-Quenya: For purposes of Neo-Quenya, I would use nasse for “nature, true-being, ✱essence”.

nassë

person, an individual

nassë (1) "a person, an individual" (VT49:30). Also translated "true-being" (pl. nasser is attested), the inner "true" being of a person. With a pronominal suffix in the form nassentar "their true-being" (PE17:175, cf. -nta #2), in the source referring to the "true" spiritual nature of the Valar, as hidden within their visible shapes. The word nassentar would seem to be plural, *"their true-beings". Not to be confused with the verb nassë/násë "he/she is"; see ná #1.

nassë

thorn, spike

nassë (2) noun "thorn, spike" (NAS). Not to be confused with nassë "(s)he is", VT49:30 or nassë # above. Note that in late material, the unambiguous word necel appears for "thorn" (PE17:55).

ná-

verb. to be, to be, [ᴱQ.] exist

The basic Quenya verb for “to be”, based on the root √NĀ (PE17/93). It was typically used as the copula equating a noun to another noun or an adjective:

> √NA joining adjs./nouns/pronouns in statements (or wishes) asserting (or desiring) a thing to have a certain quality, or to be the same as another (PE22/147).

In many circumstances this verb was optional:

> As a copula “be, is” is not usually expressed in Quenya where the meaning is clear: sc. in such expressions as “A is good” where the adjective (contrary to the usual order in Quenya of a qualifying adjective) follows: the normal Quenya for this is A mára (PE17/93).

For further discussion see the entry on the Quenya copula.

Conceptual Development: This verb dates back all the way to the Qenya Lexicon of the 1910s, where it was given as the early root ᴱ√NĀ “be, exist” (QL/64). This verb and its root appeared regularly throughout Tolkien’s writings thereafter, but at times Tolkien considered alternative verbs for “to be”; see the entry ëa- for further discussion.

-o

person, somebody

-o (2), also -ó, "a person, somebody", pronominal suffix (PM:340)

-wë

person

-wë a suffix occurring in many personal names, generally but not exclusively masculine (Elenwë is the sole certain example of a fem. name with this ending); it is derived from a stem simply meaning "person" (PM:340, WJ:399). In Etym, -wë is simply defined as an element that is frequent in masculine names, and it is there derived from a stem (WEG) having to do with "(manly) vigour".

Námo

person, somebody

námo (2) noun "a person, somebody" (PM:340 writers may prefer the synonym quén to avoid confusion with # 1)

necel

thorn

necel ("k") noun "thorn" (PE17:55)

necel

noun. thorn

A word for “thorn” in notes on the Words, Phrases and Passages from the Lord of the Rings (WPP) from the late 1950s or early 1960s, derived from the root √NEK having to do with angles (PE17/55).